Automatic musical instrument.



No. 726,701. PATENTBD APR. 28, 1903 B. DE KLEIST. I

AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION rum) JAN. 21, 1902. no MODEL. 4snnnTs-snnm 1.,

77%265'368: 53%; 7 Y UqZZbrneg S No. 726,701. PATENTED APR. 28, 1903. E. DE KLEIST.

AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

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No. 72 ,701, PATENTED APR128, 1903 E. DE KLEIST.

AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 21, 1902.

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UNITED STATES PAT NT OFFICE.

EUGENE DE KLElS'l, OF NORTH TONATVANDA, NEIV YORK.

AUTOMATIC MUS ICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent N 0. 726,701, dated April 28, 1903.

Application filed January 21, 1902. Serial No. 90,639. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE DE KLEIST, a citizen of the United States, residing at North Tonawanda, in the county of Niagara and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Musical Instruments, of which the following isa specificat-ion.

This invention relates to automatic pianos and similar musical instruments in which the sound-producing parts are controlled by a pneumatic-action, my improvements being applicable to so-called piano-players, which operate upon the keys of an ordinary piano, as well as to self-playing pianos, in which the pneumatic-actuating devices are combined with the usual piano-action.

The principal object of my invention is to simplify the construction and improve the arrangement of the parts of the pneumatic-actuating devices with a view of reducing their cost, rendering the same more compact and direct in action, and facilitating access to the parts for repairing and renewing the same.

Another object of the invention is to provide the pneumatic-action with a simple tracker or controlling mechanism which may be operated by a rotary pin-barrel.

In the accompanying drawings, consisting of four sheets, Figure l is a fragmentary vertical section of an automatic piano operated bya pin-barrel embodying my improvements. Figs. 2, 3, and at are vfragmentary horizontal sections in lines 2 2, 3 3, and 4: 4, Fig. 1.

Figs. 5 and 6 are vertical sections in lines 5 5 1 to 6, A indicates the upper portion of the case of an automatic piano, which is operated by a rotary pin-barrel B, arranged in the case. The "instrument may have a piano-action of any ordinary construction, the latter forming no part of my invention and being therefore not shown in the drawings.

0 is a main wind or exhaust chest arranged lengthwise in the case A on the rear side of the pin-barrel B and having an exhaust channel or duct (1, by which it is connected with a bellows or other exhaust device. (Not shown in the drawings.

E represents motor-pneumatics which operate vertical'rods or stickers E, which latter 1 in turn actuate the usual jacks or equivalent parts of the piano-action, the movable boards of these pneumatics having extensions e, which strike the lower ends of the stickers E.

These pneumatics are preferably arranged outside of the wind-chest to facilitate access 'to the same for repairing and renewing them e, a vertical channel 6 in the rear wall of the main exhaust-chest, and ports 6 formed in the front and rear walls of the last-named channel, as shown in Fig. l. The valve-cases F communicate both with the main exhaustch'est O and the atmosphere by ports or openings ff, and in the construction shown in the drawings each valve-case is composed of two sections which are applied to opposite sides of the rear wall of the exhaust-chamber, so that the case is arranged partly inside and partly outside of the exhaust-chest. The exhaust and vent openingsff are formed in the front and rear walls of the valve-cases, as shown. Each row of motor-pneumatics has a companion row of such valve-cases located immediately below the same, and the rear wall of the exhaust-chest O is preferably composed of independent sections F, arranged one above an-- 7 other and each carrying a row of-motor-pneumatics and their complementary valve-cases F, as shown in Fig. 1. These valve-cases are also arranged in stopped or staggered relation, as seen in Fig. 5, and the vertical ducts or channels 6 of adjoining sections are correspondingly offset, so that the ends of said channels are closed by the solid portions of the adjacent sections, as shown in Fig. 6.

The exhaust and vent openings ff" of each valve-case are controlled by valves g g,which in the construction shown are hinged at their upper ends, so as to swing vertically, and arranged within the case so as to close in opposite directions against the inner sides of said openings. Between these valves is interposed a horizontal. rod h, which transmits motion from one valve to the other in such a manner that when the exhaust-valve g is opened the vent-valve g is closed, and vice Versa. To prevent binding, this valve-rod preferably bears loosely against the backs of the valves. It passes through the apertures e of the channels 6 and slides in transverse guide-bars h, which bridge said apertures, as seen in Figs. 1, 2, 5, and 6. As shown'in Fig. 5, these guide-bars preferably extend continuously across a number of the apertures e in the same horizontal row in order to simplify the construction of the action.

In order to insure a tight closure of the exhaust-valves g, the adjacent front walls of the valve-cases are inclined rearwardly, so as to overhang, as shown in Fig. 1. By this construction the depending exhaust-valves by their tendency to hang in a vertical position closely hug the valve-seats formed by the inclined walls.

The opening and closing movements of the valves may be controlled by any suitable means, but the valves are preferably operated by the following mechanism: Each of the exhaust-valves g is provided with a rigid opening rod or stem i, which extends forwardly through the corresponding exhaust-opening f and bears loosely against a flexible diaphragm or pneumatic j, the diaphragm being preferably provided centrally with a rigid disk j, which receives the wear of said stem. This diaphragm forms the rear wall of an air chamber f and is attached at its edge to a ring or frame j which forms the sides of said chamber. This ring is secured to the front wall of the exhaust-chest O, which Wall forms the front wall of the air-chamber or pneumaticj. Each of these air-chambers communicates with the surrounding main exhaustchest by a small hole or ductj, formed in the ring j The air-chambers or valve-operating pneumaticsj communicate also with the outer atmosphere by individual ducts or channels 70, arranged in the adjacent front wall of the main chest C, the outerendsof these channels terminating at the upper end of said wall in the.construction shown in the drawings. The admission of the atmosphere to these channels and the corresponding pneumatics j is controlled by valves Z, which may be,

termed tracker-valves and which are applied to the upper ends of the channels, as

shown in Fig. 1, each channel being provided with such avalve. These tracker-valves are closed by springs Z and opened by the pins and staples of the rotary pin-barrel B through the medium of keys or trip-fingersnand stickers 0. These trip-fingers rock upon a pivotrod 12 and are vibrated by the pins and staples of the barrel in a common manner. It will now be understood that the pin-barrel causes the trackervalves Zto control the channels 7t, and these parts thus perform the office of the usual perforated music-sheets used in connection with tracker-boards. The pinbarrel has the advantage of being more durable than a music-sheet.

The operation of my improved pneumaticaction is as follows: \Vhen the inlet end of a tracker-channel 7c is closed by its trackervalve Z, the air is exhausted therefrom and from the corresponding diaphragm-chamber j through the small hole 7' of said chamber, and as the pressure against both sides of the companion diaphragm is balanced under these conditions the diaphragm is moved to the position shown by dotted lines in the middle diaphragm in Fig. 1 by the weight of the closed exhaust-valve g and the open ventvalve g,which is exerted upon the diaphragm through the rods h 11. As the exhaust-valve of the motor-pneumatic is now closed and the corresponding vent-valve open, the motorpneumatic is cut off from the main exhaustchest 0 and remains in its normal expanded condition, in which it does not operate the corresponding sticker E. When the trackervalve Z of a channel 7c is opened, as shown by full lines in Fig. 1, the atmosphere enters that channel and the chamberj to which it leads, and presses the corresponding diaphragm j rearwardly to the reverse position shown by full lines in connection with the upper diaphragm in Fig. 1. This reversed diaphragm acting upon the stem 2' pushes the exhaust-valve 9 open, and this valve acting upon the rod h at the same time closes the vent-valve g, thereby placing the corresponding motor-pneumatic E in communication with the main exhaust-chest and cutting off the outer atmosphere therefrom. The air is now exhausted from said motor-pneumatic and the latter collapsed by the atmospheric pressure, thus lifting the companion sticker E and causing the latter to operate the corresponding hammer of the piano-action. It will be observed that the stickers E are actuated by the collapsing movement of the motor-pneumatics. As soon as the corresponding tracker-valve Z is again closed the motor-pneumatic E is allowed to expand and the sticker allowed to descend to its former position. The rear wall of each valve-case F, against which the vent-valve g seats itself,

is preferably inclined rearwardly, as shown' in Fig. 1, so that this valve when released tends to swing away from said wall. By this construction when the tracker valve Z is closed the vent-valve g by its weight promptly IIO begins the closing movement of the companion exhaust-valve g, the atmospheric pres-' sure against the vent-valve g assisting inand renewals when necessary, and by ar-,

ranging the valve-cases F partly outside of the wind-chest access can be had to their interior by simply removing the rear sections, which latter may be screwed in place or otherwise made removable. By making the rear wall of the exhaust-chest in sections, each of which carries a row of motor-pneumatics and their companion valve-cases F, the parts can be conveniently assembled and cheaply constructed, and they are at the same time readily accessible.

By my improved arrangement the motorpneumatics also act directly upon the stickers E, rendering the action simple in-construction.

\Vhen my improvements are embodied in a piano-player, the tracker-ducts 7c are controlled by the usual perforated music-sheet B, as shown in Fig. 7. In this case the rows of motor-pneumatics E are arranged in the upper portion of the inclosing case above the rows of valve-cases F and connected with the latter by independent air-ducts 6 arranged as shown in Fig. 8 or in any other suitable manner. receive a downward impulse in order to depress the piano-keys P, and the position of the motor-pneumatics is therefore reversed from that shown in Figs. 1 to 6, so that their movable boards are caused to swing downward and bear upon the upper ends of the stickers when the pneumatics are collapsed, as shown in Fig. 7. In other respects the construction of the action may be like that shown in Figs. 1 to 6.

While I prefer to incline the front wall of the valve-cases F. and employ a swinging exhaust-valve g, that wall may be vertical and a sliding disk valve g used, as shown in Fig. 9, if desired. In this case the disk valve is secured to a continuous valve-stem 7L2, which bears at its ends against the diaphragm j and the vent-valve g.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination with a wind-chest, a sound-controlling member, and a motor-pneumatic for operating said member, of a valve-' chamber communicating with the motorpneumatic and provided in opposite walls with exhaust and vent ports opening into said chest and the atmosphere, respectively, oppositelyopening valves applied to said ports, a sliding rod 'or sticker arranged between said valves and bearing loosely against both of the same, and an actuating device for said valves, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of an exhaust-chest having a channeled wall divided horizontally into separate, superposed sections, two or The stickers F. must in this case more rows of motor-pneumatics, and two or more rows of corresponding valve-cases connected with said pneumatics by the channels in said wall and each having an exhaust-port connecting with said exhaust-chest, a ventport which opensinto the atmosphere, and oppositelyopening valves applied to said ports, each of said channeled-wall sections carrying a row of said motorpneumatics and their complementary row of valve-oases, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with an exhaust-chest and a sound-controlling member, of a motorpneu matic for operating said member,a valvecase arranged partly inside and partly outside of said chest and communicating with the motor-pneu matic and provided within the chest with an exhaust-port and outside thereof with a vent-port,oppositely-opening valves applied to said ports and operating in unison, and an actuating device for said valves, substantially as set forth.

4-. The'combination with an exhaust-chest,

a sound controlling member and a motorpneumatic for operating said member, of a horizontal valvecase communicating with said motor-pneumatic and having a vent-port and an inclined, overhanging wall provided with an exhaust-port, a depending valve applied to said port and hinged to the inner side of said overhanging Wall, and a valve applied to said vent-port and opening in the reverse direction from said exhaust-valve, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with an exhaust-chest, a sound-controlling member and a motorpneumatic-for operating said member, of a horizontal valve-case communicating with said motor-pneumatic and having an inclined,

overhanging wall provided with an exhaustport which communicates with said exhaustehest and an opposing wall inclined in the same direction and containing a vent-port,-depending exhaust and vent valves applied to said ports, respectively, and hinged to the inner sides of said inclined walls, and means for operating said valves in unison, substantially as set forth. r

6. The combination with an exhaust-chest, a sound-controlling member and a motorpneumatic for operating said member, of a horizontal valve-case, communicating with said motor-pneumatic and having an exhaust port which communicates with said'exha'ustchest and an inclined wall provided-with a vent-port, a swinging vent-valve applied "to said vent-port on the inner side of said inclined wall, and an exhaust-valve applied to said exhaust-port and opening in the reverse direction to said vent-valve, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination with a wind-chest ha vof said chestand communicating with the motor-pneumatic and provided Within the chest With an exhaust-port and outside thereof with a vent-port,oppositely0pening valves applied to said ports and operating in unison, an actuating-pneumatic for said valves having a vent or tracker duct, a tracker-valve controlling said duct, and means for operating said tracker-valve, substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this 15th day of January, 1901.

EUGENE DE KLEIST. Witnesses:

THEO. L. PoPP, CARL F. GEYER. 

